Although the simple binary toggle switch is still the primary lighting control device in most homes due to cost, dimmers and other new lighting controls are often preferred for handling many lighting tasks more efficiently. By controlling the intensity of the light according to needed or desired parameters, dimmers reduce wasted electricity, saving money and natural resources. A dimmer permits lowered or raised light levels so that they are appropriate to the need. For example, a bathroom dimmer can be set to a low setting for restful light when bathing or napping, then raised to a higher intensity setting to apply makeup.
Most dimmers today are solid-state devices. They actually switch off and on very rapidly--120 times per second. Because the human eye integrates, it perceives the light as a product of how long the current is in the "off" and "on" cycles.
Dimmers save money. First, they significantly cut wasted energy by using only the amount of electricity needed. When a light is dimmed 25%, a dimmer saves about 20% of the electricity required. When dimmed by 50%, it saves 40% of the electricity. Second, a dimmer greatly extends lamp life because it reduces strain on the filament. When dimmed 25%, a lamp lasts 4 times longer than it would at full power, and dimmed by 50%, it will last as much as 20 times longer.
No special wiring is needed for a dimmer--it may replace any conventional light switch, but there are specially-rated dimmers for fluorescent or low-voltage lighting and fans. Dimmers must be selected with ratings to handle the type and load of fixtures it will control.
Dimmers may be operated with a toggle, a dial, a slide, a paddle switch, a touch-pad or electronic button; some types integrate two or more of these methods to handle different tasks. Whereas in a binary toggle switch the switch simply moves between an on and an off position, in dimmer switch applications the toggle switch is movable between multiple operative positions.
Prior art dimmer switches include those which operate with the toggle switch and those which operate with a slide switch. A known prior art device incorporates a PC board. The planar extension of the PC board is perpendicular to the planar extension of the face plate.
There is a need for a dimmer electrical control box which is capable of being adapted for use with a toggle switch or a sliding switch which utilizes a common PC board in the electrical control box to promote versatility. There is also a need for a dimmer electrical control box where manufacturing costs are reduced by enabling the use of common components for two different products, one using a toggle switch and one using a sliding switch.
Also, it is desirable for an electrical control box to use screw terminals as this facilitates hook up to external wiring. Prior art devices have instead relied on leads coming out of the electrical control box.